7 Tips for Hiring a Professional Wedding Photographer

I know what you’re saying, “Not another article on how to higher a wedding photographer”; and I would respond, “This is no ordinary list of tips on hiring a professional wedding photographer.” You see, most of these lists you read online are rehashed articles and are written by some writer trying to fill content on their wedding directory website or blog. As a matter of fact, these articles may have been copied from one site to another. But I can attest that this article you are about to read is the original version which appeared right here on the Southern California Wedding Photography website first!

So, what makes this article so unique? These 7 tips actually came about as a result of myself and several other wedding photographers getting together and brainstorming the types of advice we would give a bride about hiring a professional wedding photographer. Then the few friends took the list and asked a few more of their photography buddies, and you get the idea. Basically, professional photographers generated this list of tips.

7 Tips to Consider When Hiring a Professional Wedding Photographer

Make it a matter of style: Every Southern California wedding photographer has a unique artistic style. Sure, some photographers are similar in their style, but you will find that even the one’s who seem similar, are quite different in their visual approach. Do your research. Find the style you like and research the photographers that fit that style; I cannot stress this enough. There are those brides who will hire a photographer based solely on price; WRONG!

I once had a bride book me online, never seeing my work, and when she received her photos she was a bit upset at my style which was not what she had in mind. I make it a point to show my work and explain to the couple that I am not a “traditional” wedding photographer.

So, the moral of the story, view the photographers work either online or in person (which I recommend), but view it! If not, you may end up with a photography style you did not expect.

View sample work in person: This may be a no brainer, but you would be surprised at how often brides don’t want to see the work and just get excited at the low cost or what they see on an online portfolio (See the tip before this one).  As a bride, you want to see the photographers work in print, not just online. One of the reasons is to make sure the wedding photographer has a consistent style. Also, to make sure that he/she is the actual photographer of what you saw online.

It was just a few days ago I was surfing the net when I came across a wedding photographer in San Diego. I saw some wedding photos on his website which looked familiar. Upon further inspecting the work, I noticed they where “lifted” from another photographers website; A photographer I knew. So, you never know who may be “borrowing” another photographer’s work and showing it as their own. If you see it in print, then it’s tougher for the photographer to deceive you.

Personality is paramount: I don’t mean that if a photographer doesn’t have a personality, you shouldn’t hire them. What I do mean is that the both of you should be able to hit it off and that your personalities should be compatible. You need to feel comfortable with your photographer on your wedding day and the photographer needs to feel comfortable with you as well.

I can recall a time when I was photographing an engagement session on the beach and the groom was a bit of a problem. He had a horrible attitude about the entire photo shoot, as well as a bad attitude toward his bride to be. At the end of the photo shoot, I simply told him that it would probably be best if he hired another photographer and that I wasn’t a fit for him. Needless to say, I received a phone call that evening with an apology. I explained to the groom that my roll as a photographer involved a creative process and that if he planned on being rude and disrespectful, it would not be difficult for me to provide him with a quality product. He agreed. The point is, personality is important. He would have been better off hiring someone who may have matched his temperament.

Get it in Writing: It’s a good practice for both the couple and wedding photographer to put what they agree to as far as services and products, in writing that is signed by both parties.  It’s easy to forget what a photographer promises the couple and what the couple promises to pay a photographer. After all, it could be months, even a year between the agreeing part and the actual wedding (the service) part. A lot can happen and a lot can be forgotten. So, get what you want in writing. You’ll sleep better.

Determine who owns the copyright: This is perhaps the one item many brides overlook or don’t even realize; who does own the copyright to the wedding photos?

While this may not be negotiable with many photographers, it’s a good idea to ask anyway. I retain the copyright, while I give limited copyright to the couple allowing them to reproduce the work. Some photographers give up the rights all together while others don’t. So, be sure to ask so you don’t end up with any surprises in the end.

Referrals may or may not be a good thing: I make this bold statement because, what one family member or friend may have liked about their wedding photographer, may not be what you particularly like. But, getting a referral from a trusted source is a good start. You will at least know that your trusted source won’t lead you astray. In fact, I would ask several of my friends for referrals. If your friends don’t have any referrals, then try relatives or a reputable wedding photography directory like the Southern California Wedding Photography directory.

Price is not everything: As you begin your hunt for the perfect wedding photographer to capture your wedding day, one thing you’re going to notice aside form the photos is the price. You will see some photographers with average to poor quality work that may be higher in price than photographers with exceptional work. If a photographer prices their work based on proper business practices, then the photographers with a studio and higher overhead will be higher in their rates over photographers who have a home studio since the latter does not have such a high overhead. Then again, there are those photographers who charge a lot because they either can or think they should.

In conclusion, you should first seek a photographer based on the style of wedding photography you like and want to see in your album. From there, begin to do your research and narrow down the photographers based on your budget. But keep in mind that your photographer is the one keeping record of your special day. So in the end, it’s better not to skimp price with a photographer.

As far as selecting a photographer, Southern California has thousands of qualified professional wedding and engagement photographers. Finding one should not pose a problem if you ask for referrals from friends and family or even from qualified and reputable wedding photography directories

3 Responses to “7 Tips for Hiring a Professional Wedding Photographer”

1. Sebastian says:

   August 11, 2010 at 7:05 pm

   Very good post! I have to agree with you on the personality point. We had a wedding photographer from hell when we got married. We didn’t see eye to eye and he was just too much into himself. I wish I had read this post prior to hiring our wedding photographer several years ago.

   So, great job on this much needed list of photographer hiring tips!
2. Budget Wedding Tips says:

   August 13, 2010 at 8:05 pm

   We have been searching all over the net for weeks trying to come across helpful guidelines or ideas that we can use to plan our wedding this fall. There is so much specifics on the internet that it gets really confusing and made it seem like we would never get it all sorted out. Thankfully there are websites like yours that we have found recently which are already a terrific support and source of info and recommendations we have used to get past a lot of the difficult or confusing things we needed to do. Thank you for the information and facts, we surely appreciate it.
3. Raleigh NC photographers says:

   August 18, 2010 at 10:28 am

   Thank you for posting this article! I was looking for something similar and it was helpful to read thru it!